Mulcair, Tom (1954-…), was the leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP), a Canadian political party, from 2012 to 2017. He led the party at the national level. Mulcair became a member of Parliament (MP) in 2007. He also has served in the legislature of Quebec —the National Assembly—and worked as a lawyer.
Thomas Joseph Mulcair was born on Oct. 24, 1954, in Ottawa , Ontario , and grew up in Laval , Quebec. He attended McGill University , receiving bachelor’s degrees in civil law and common law in 1976 and 1977, respectively. Mulcair was admitted to the Bar of Quebec, the body of lawyers licensed to practice law in the province, in 1979.
Before running for office, Mulcair worked in Quebec’s Ministry of Justice and in the Superior Council of the French Language, a group that monitors the use of French in Quebec on behalf of the provincial government. He directed legal affairs for Alliance Québec, an organization that lobbied on behalf of English-speaking Quebecers. Mulcair also worked at a private law practice.
In 1994, Mulcair was elected to the National Assembly of Quebec as a Liberal in the riding (electoral district) of Chomedey, in Laval. From 2003 to 2006, he served as minister of the environment (later sustainable development, environment and parks) under Liberal Quebec Premier Jean Charest . In 2006, Mulcair resigned from the Quebec cabinet rather than accept a demotion to a smaller ministry. He did not run for reelection to the National Assembly in March 2007.
Later in 2007, Mulcair won a by-election (special election to fill a vacant seat) to represent Outremont, Quebec, in Canada’s federal House of Commons. It was only the second time that an NDP member of Parliament was elected in Quebec. Mulcair was reelected in general elections in 2008, 2011, and 2015. From 2007 to 2011, he served as a deputy leader of the NDP. In 2011, the NDP won the second most seats in the House of Commons—behind the Conservatives—and became the official opposition party. Mulcair then became opposition House leader. A House leader serves as the party spokesperson for matters concerning the scheduling of House business.
NDP leader Jack Layton died in August 2011. In March 2012, Mulcair won an NDP leadership contest to succeed Layton as party leader and leader of the official opposition. As leader of the opposition, Mulcair developed a reputation for a tough style of questioning the prime minister in the House of Commons. The NDP placed third in a 2015 general election, after the Liberal and Conservative parties, and Mulcair ceased to be opposition leader. In 2017, the party chose Jagmeet Singh, a member of Ontario’s Legislative Assembly, to replace Mulcair as its leader.
Mulcair retired from Parliament in the summer of 2018. He accepted a position to teach as a visiting professor at the University of Montreal. He also accepted an offer to work as a political commentator on radio and television.
Mulcair is married to Catherine Pinhas Mulcair, and they have two adult sons. Tom Mulcair has written a memoir, Strength of Conviction (2015).
